Scott is under contract through the 2013-14 season. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll be coaching the Cavs for all of next year. If the Cavs record a record similar to what they have now -- 7-25 -- Scott could be replaced.

When Scott took his first head coaching job in New Jersey in 2000, he had a discussion with one of his good friends, Hall of Fame center Bill Walton.

Scott is 47-133 in three years with the Cavs. A .353 winning percentage isn't normally conducive to getting long-term contracts.

His next win will be the 400th of his career. Only seven active NBA coaches are ahead of him: George Karl, Rick Adelman, Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Rick Carlisle, Scott Skiles and Doug Collins.

He never got to coach LeBron James. He longs for the Cavs to be relevant again. Scott said he wouldn't mind the intense media scrutiny afforded the Browns.

"I don't mind having you here every day or being second-guessed," Scott said. "I like being the hunted. I like teams coming after us. That's all I've had in my life in L.A. That's a challenge. It's competition."

Scott, 51, said he last spoke to Shurmur over the summer. He said he intended to get together with him again in the summer of 2013.

"I don't know what Pat's going to do," he said. "Hopefully, we still will (get together)."

Scott said he saw a lot of improvement in the Browns this season, even though they finished 5-11.

"They made some leaps and bounds this year and have gotten better," he said. "That's how I look at that. They have some good pieces. They have a good quarterback, good running back and some good receivers. They have a solid defense. This draft will help them. They are on the right track.

"I'm a fan of Pat. I wish him all the best."

Scott, of course, has his own problems right now. The Cavs have one of the worst records in the NBA and are trying to win with a collection of youngsters.

"I'm probably more frustrated than our players are," he said. "I'm encouraged. We're in every game. We're right there. We give ourselves an opportunity. At times, our youth gets in the way. I think the wins will start to come."

Party pooper?

Scott has the Cavs practicing on New Year's Day. The players aren't scheduled to show up until noon.

"I could have been like (ex-Lakers coach) Pat Riley and say, 'See everybody at 9,' " he said. "He would come to most of the parties we had. We'd have our own Lakers New Year's Eve party. Riles would be there. He'd leave at 12:03. Then we'd really party."

"We have so many young guys," Scott said. "You do worry. Everybody (needs to) be careful and be smart."

Quick shots

-- Cavs guard Daniel Gibson remains out with a concussion. "He's still with the NBA protocol," Scott said. "There are a few more steps he has to go through."

-- Center Anderson Varejao returned to practice on a limited basis. He's missed the last six games with a bruised right knee. "He did 50 percent of the practice," Scott said. "(He didn't participate in) live contact or 5-on-5 stuff. We'll see how he feels tomorrow. He was moving OK. He said when he plants to jump, he still feels a little pain. It's nowhere near as severe as it was four or five days ago. Obviously, he's making big-time progress."

-- Scott said newly acquired point guard Shaun Livingston was impressive in practice and will likely play on Wednesday vs. Sacramento at Quicken Loans Arena.

-- Cavs power forward Tristan Thompson has shed his mask. He wore it for 22 games after suffering a nasal fracture at Philadelphia on Nov. 18. Guard Kyrie Irving is the only Cavs player wearing a mask.

-- The Cavs recalled power forward Samardo Samuels from the Canton Charge on Monday. He appeared in two games with the Development League team and averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds and shot 56.7 percent from the field.